Frequently Asked Questions

Why wear the drop leg?

When it comes to choosing what to wear tactically, I find it best to abide by the saying “The mission drives the gear”.

Drop leg holsters are primarily a military item that were designed for the battlefield. The point is to disperse your necessary equipment over a larger part of your body, making it easier to carry.

Additionally, a drop leg holster makes it much easier to draw your firearm.

It also comes into its own when you’re wearing a rappelling harness.

You should review your needs before purchasing and wearing a drop leg holster. If you’re not wearing bulky gear or harnesses, if you don’t perform a strenuous activity, liking hiking or hunting with your firearms, then perhaps it would be ill advised to wear one.

There is no point in extending your draw stroke and adding unnecessary weight to your legs (when your hips are better at carrying it) unless you’re going to gain something from it. This style of holster definitely has distinct advantages, but they will only be realized when used in the right circumstances.

Are drop leg holsters comfortable?

As a whole, yes. But as with any other product, quality helps determine comfort. And there are plenty of people out there who have been left with a negative impression because they purchased a badly made or designed holster.

Unlike with other holsters you also need to know how to properly fit a drop leg holster. Just like with clothing or shoes, even a the highest quality of products can be relegated into a useless discomfort if it fits badly.

But as previously touched upon, the drop leg holster was designed with military use in mind. Meaning it’s specifically made to be worn comfortably while performing a strenuous physical activity. And survive in situations that would break most other holsters. Nothing is pressing against your bare skin or getting sweaty, noting is digging into your kidneys or impeding your limb articulation.

A properly fitted drop leg holster will allow you to carry more gear than a standard hip holster while still maintaining a free range of movement.

How to wear a drop leg holster?

There are few common mistakes often made by those wearing a drop leg holster for the first time. The good news is that they can all be pretty easily rectified and doing so will make your experience all the better.

The wrong clothing – Remember that a drop leg holster is made to be worn if a hip holster isn’t practical. Meaning that someone wearing one will also be wearing a high-quality tactical belt. The belt helps bear the weight of the gun and prevent it from sliding down. Wearing the wrong belt will not only ruin it but it will also uncomfortably tug on your hips.

Too low – The most common mistake is wearing your gun just above your knee. The placement of your firearm should be just low enough that you’re able to effectively clear the gear you are wearing when drawing it. And absolutely no lower. Doing so will only make one leg heavier that it should be and increase your draw distance which also reduces your draw speed.

Too loose – You should be able to fit one finger comfortably in between your leg strap and your pants. Otherwise, your holster is too loose. Which may not be a huge problem if you’re just standing at the range. But it will tug uncomfortably on your belt and hips. And when you walk or run the gun will sway back and forth on your hips. Which is not only uncomfortable but dangerous as well.

What brand of drop leg holsters does the military use?

There are many branches of the military, each with their own specific needs in regards to weaponry and tactical gear.

As such many soldiers carry what is commonly known as a “Safariland System” or a “Tactical Platform”. Rather than a built-in holster, this system includes a special curved plate either made from metal or high tech polymers which are strapped to your leg.

The plate then acts as a sturdy base to which a holster, knife, flashlight, additional magazines or anything else a soldier would need on the field of battle, can be added.

You can remove weaponry without having to take off the holster and quickly swap out gear. Making it ideal for tactical purposes. It’s also great for civilian applications as these styles of drop leg holsters tend to sway less when you’re walking or running around because the plate helps to bear some of the weight of the gear, and also “hugs” the outside of your thigh.

Are there drawbacks?

Admittedly there are a few. No matter how high you wear a drop leg holster, it will still make your firearm sit lower than it would be in a hip holster.

And unless you have exceptionally long arms, you will have to bend slightly to grab and draw your firearm, which adds to your draw speed.

With practice and dedication, you will be able to get your speed back to an acceptable figure, but you have to be willing to put in that work. Furthermore, depending on how much gear you’ve placed on your rig, there is a good chance that it’s going to wobble around quite a bit when you’re wearing it.

Certain holsters are better for this than others, but regardless, something placed on your thigh is going to move more than something placed on your hip, or under your arm. Drop leg holsters also have a tendency to snag on things when you’re walking through the brush, which is a minor problem but one that is worth noting for the sake of honesty.

Admittedly none of these problems are major but are just things that you should be aware of while making the decision to buy this style of holster.

So you’ve made your choice, you know that a drop leg holster is suitable for your needs and that you’re going to be able to use one effectively.

But this begs the obvious question “Which one do I buy?”.

We will review a number of options below.

Blackhawk! Tactical Platform

**Great if you already own Blackhawk! SERPA **Ambidextrous

As the name implies this is a tactical platform style drop leg holster made by “Blackhawk!” who is a well-known producer of high-quality firearm merchandise.

What I really like about this particular holster is that the belt strap is in a unique “Y” design. Meaning that you can wear this holster higher up on your thigh than you can with others, it disconnects more easily, spreads the weight over a wider area on your hip and reduces lateral sway when you’re running. As opposed to other tactical platforms that only have one belt strap.
This item can be paired with the “Blackhawk!” SERPA mount and mounted onto the plate. So if you already own the Serpa concealment holster, this is a great option for you.

As that’s a product you can wear every day to conceal carry your weapons, or mount onto the tactical platform when you would like to. So you get the best of both worlds.

You can buy additional attachments for the holster to hold magazines, flashlights and more.

Condor Tornado

Condor has over twenty years of experience designing and producing tactical gear that’s just as suitable for fieldwork as it is for civilian applications.

The Tornado stands testament to that, this product is the more typical style drop leg holster.

But what we like so much about it is that it’s made from durable, high-quality materials which will last a long time. Both the leg straps and holster itself are fully adjustable, meaning it will fit any size leg and hold practically any pistol, even if you have aftermarket sights or lasers added to it.

It also includes a pouch to carry a flashlight, flare or additional magazine. The interior surface of the holster is rubber lined to help prevent it from swaying around as you walk. It comes with a velcro retention strap so that your firearm won’t fall out or be taken from you. And finally, it’s the most affordable holster on this list.

The Tornado really is the everyman style drop leg holster and is an excellent way to see if this style of holster is suitable for you before you go ahead and buy a more gun specific design. Or a tactical platform that will require a number of other purchases as well.

Safariland Tactical Platform

Here we have the Safariland holster, a company known to make military grade products, albeit at a military grade price.

This tactical platform and accompanying holster comes in either right or left handed options. And can be mounted on a slight cant to allow for a straight up draw upon release of the weapon.

The accompanying holster is designed for Glocks that have a flashlight attached.

While the tactical platform is exactly what you would expect in terms of comfort and quality, it’s made specifically for two types of Glocks. This is one of the brands that the military and law enforcement uses.

What I like most is the weapon retention system on the holster. It has what Safariland refers to as “automated” and “self” locking systems. Self-locking is really a fancy way of saying the holster has a retention strap, while automated means that the holster is designed to keep the weapon clipped in when placed properly.

So even without the retention strap, it won’t go anywhere.

You have to first push the weapon down to release it, and then pull up to draw. Which makes it a lot more difficult for someone to take your weapon from you. And is a feature that is not often found in holsters. For everything this drop leg holster offers, it is worth the cost.

Blackhawk! Omega VI

**Left or Right-hand configuration

This is another traditional drop leg holster that is universal, meaning it can be adjusted to fit pretty much any weapon. It includes a rubberized inside to help reduce weapon sway, comes in both right and left handed varieties.

It has three fully customizable straps. An extra space for a flashlight or magazine and a retention strap for your weapon. This is a very good system for those who don’t want to carry around a large number of items. And are looking for something that will safely house any of your sidearms.

For hunters or campers, this would be ideal, as in addition to your pistol you could also carry around a knife, flashlight, flint, fishing line, compass or flare. Creating a sort of survival kit that can be kept on your leg.

The one downside is the belt strap is rather long, so the holster is going to sit a little further down on your thigh.

The Verdict

We’ve reviewed four great options for holsters that attach to your thigh. Each had great qualities depending on what you’re looking for.

Our favorite if you own the ever popular Glock 17 is the Safariland drop leg holster. The quality of the product will ensure it lasts you as long as you need it. Find it here at Amazon.

If you don’t own a Glock, we love the Blackhawk! Omega VI option. It works with tactical lights and sights that you may have added to your pistol and it’s very affordable for a first-time buyer. Find it here at Amazon.

If you have any questions or comments regarding your experience with a drop leg holster, leave a comment below. Hope you all found this to be helpful!

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